The Betrothal
by Ameeraidoj
Summary: This is an AU story in which the curse did not befall the castle and Belle's mother did not die. Belle's mother and the prince's uncle arrange a marriage between Belle and the prince named Henri.
1. Peasants vs Nobility

This is another AU _Beauty and the Beast _story. "A Freedom of Choice" will be updated soon but I am having trouble writing Chapter 12. I promise after that next chapter some of the updates will be quicker as I have written the next three chapters after 12.

Now, about this story, because Belle is a very well educated person, I thought her mother must have been from nobility as her father was most certainly a commoner. In this AU, Belle's mother does not die and the Enchantress never puts the curse on the young prince. Belle's background for this story is the same as the idea underlying her character in "A Freedom of Choice" and that story will make references to parts of this story.

I did some research on the history of France and this chapter is set in 1822. Belle was born in 1814 and the prince, who will be named Henri, was born in 1812. The main reason for this time setting is that Belle made a brief appearance in Disney's _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ during the song "Out There." The novel was set in 1482 but published in 1831. One of my friends and I started to dissect Disney movies as a joke conversation and it turned out some interesting theories and out of that conversation, we estimated Belle was seventeen and the burning of Paris is what convinced Maurice and Belle to leave the city moving into the small provincial town.

I know that this first chapter may be boring and I apologize for the long introduction. I hope you will enjoy this story as I am treading into new territory. Please review and submit suggestions like if I got some of the history of the French departments wrong or other ideas for the story.

There are references to the parents or grandparents of certain characters from two very popular Broadway/West End musicals that take place in France and are based on books. I want to see if anyone can guess them.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Beauty and the Beast_ and very few of the characters are of my own creation.

* * *

Lady Cecil Toussaint prepared her daughter in a lovely dress for the party that was to be given by Lady Moncharmin this evening. Many people from nobility were to attend, including the Comte de Chagny, whom every woman wanted to notice her daughter as the Comte's son just became of the marrying age. There was also supposed to be a surprise guest that no one, save for Lady Moncharmin, knew who the person was.

Lady Toussaint knew that her daughter at the age of eight was too young for the Comte's son, but she hoped that her daughter would be accepted as part of the noble class despite her standing. Her father, Lord Toussaint, had gambled away most of the fortune that is associated with nobility. Strangely enough, she met a peasant who worked as a carpenter and blacksmith falling in love with him. Not many men of the noble class wanted to touch her due to her father's reputation, so she managed to convince her father that she should marry a peasant in order to save whatever of the fortune was left. Therefore, she was allowed to marry Maurice Avisé.

Her friends felt sympathy for her, so they still invited her to all their functions, but her husband was rarely extended an invitation as well. However, Maurice encouraged her to still be a part of her original world and not worry about him. Besides, with the small part of the Toussaint fortune that was left, Maurice no longer had to work as carpenter and blacksmith, and spent his time mostly inventing things that would hopefully have value in the new Industrial Revolutionary world. Cecil loved watching her husband with his inventions. One of her favorite ones was the viewer in which she could see who was on the opposite side of the door.

When their daughter, Belle, was born, Maurice encouraged Cecil more than ever to take part in her world because he knew Belle had the chance for a better life. Cecil had to agree with him. Belle was a highly intelligent child, even more intelligent than she was. At the age of eight, her education level was what a girl would learn at the age of twelve. She was all ready fluent in her Italian and Spanish as well as her native French. She was beginning English and German. It was as though Belle knew where her place would be if she did not receive this education, although Cecil and Maurice did not tell her about her family's differences.

While Belle acted more like the noble class in her mannerisms and the way she spoke, she was not a snob. She ran errands for the elderly neighbors who lived above the Avisés' apartment, played with the peasant children who were around her age, and even taught some of her friends what she learned from her education.

Cecil was brushing Belle's hair in the main bedroom hoping to get her ready before the Pontmercys arrived. Belle was a very observant child and wanted some things clarified before the party.

Belle asked, "Mama, am I part of the noble class or the peasant class?"

Cecil was surprised and stopped brushing Belle's hair, "Wherever did you get those ideas?"

Belle answered, "I know you're nobility and Papa is a peasant. What am I?"

Cecil continued brushing Belle's hair. "Your papa and I wish for you to be part of the nobles."

Belle continued to be inquisitive, "Does that mean I can choose?"

Cecil was taken aback. "Well, of course, you do have a choice. Now, why are you asking such questions?"

"I heard you telling Papa that all the women want the Comte to notice their daughters and one day, I would need to be noticed too."

Cecil sighed, "You were supposed to be asleep, Young Lady."

"I know, Mama, but I only read fifty pages that day and the book was becoming very interesting. I could not help that you were speaking outside my room." Belle threw up her hands in surrender.

Cecil could not help but smile in response. "Well, your hair is ready for the party. Come over to the bed and we'll talk."

They sat on Belle's bed and Belle looked expectantly at her mother. Cecil looked lovingly at her. "This is a conversation I hoped to have in a few years, but yes, you do have the choice of living as a noble or a peasant depending on a marriage. Your father and I think you'll be happier as part of the noble class since as a peasant, you and your husband will have to work hard. Our money won't last forever."

"But the peasants are more fun than the stuffy nobles."

Cecil hid a giggle, "Yes, right now, but when they grow up, they'll have to work. If you decide to be a part of the peasant world, you'll not be able to read as much as you can now."

Belle sighed, "All right, Mama, I understand."

Cecil kissed her daughter on the head and said, "I'll see you in the kitchen in five minutes." She left the room.

Despite the lessons and this recent talk, Belle was still torn between the two worlds because she loved her parents and wanted to please them, but she wanted to be happy when she grew up. She knew her father agreed with and encouraged her mother to teach her to fit in with the noble class, but she learned from the history books that a marriage for her would be arranged if she decided that way. Peasants seemed like they could do whatever they wanted in terms of marriage. Belle started reading books she was not sure if her mother would approve of since they had a romantic nature. She started to read a book in English entitled _Pride and Prejudice_, which was difficult since she was new to the language, but the ending she understood enough.

Besides, sometimes Belle thought that she did not want to marry ever. If that were the case, she would never have an arranged marriage and she would not be considered inferior to her husband like she saw in most marriages, including peasant ones. She did not wish for a marriage like her parents either. She wanted to be an equal to her husband, not have a greater standing like in her parents' marriage and not be a servant to him like others. However, she never saw a marriage like that, so she would rather not be married at all, thank you very much. Of course, she was a practical child and knew her beliefs about marriage might change in later years.

Belle knew she had many years before she had to worry about being a grown up and marriage anyway, so she stood up and went into the kitchen.

Maurice was surprised at how observant Belle was. "She overheard everything?"

Cecil responded, "Yes, and we did talk, but she only sees what each family wants the outside world to see."

Maurice did walk up close to Cecil, "You know I want what's best for her?"

Cecil nodded, "Of course, Maurice, but sometimes I wonder if you go along with everything I do because you feel sorry for my position."

Maurice chuckled, "Never, Cecil. I'm not a part of that world, I know, but Belle can be and she'll be better off. I love you, Cecil, and I've never envied you nor pitied you."

Cecil felt guilty, "Maurice, I know I don't show you much affection and I rarely express my appreciation for you allowing me to be present in my world, but –"

Maurice kissed his wife, "I know, Cecil. At least that's one thing our daughter has not learned – to hide her feelings. While you learned to mask your feelings, you've never learned to hide your eyes." Cecil had the most expressive hazel eyes that Belle inherited and for that, he would always be thankful for his family.

Cecil smiled lovingly at her husband. They heard Belle walk into the room with her slightly high-heeled shoes, but Cecil did not push away as she did sometimes. Belle smiled when she saw her parents together openly.

Belle made a slight curtsy at her father, "I'm ready."

Maurice moved toward his daughter, "I can see and how lovely you are."

Belle giggled. Maurice gave his daughter a hug. "Now, my two best girls will have a good time tonight and be the bells of the ball."

Belle hugged him, "Of course, Papa."

Cecil came up behind them, "Wait until she's older."

Maurice stood up straight and looked at his wife. He said in an undertone, "While I want her to be educated, she shouldn't grow up too fast."

Cecil nodded at him, "Don't worry, Maurice, she'll be fine."

The sounds of a carriage pulling up in the square outside the building could be heard.

Belle said, jumping, "They're here!"

Cecil smiled at her, "Yes, Belle, so we better leave."

Belle jumped into her father's arms again, "Goodnight, Papa. I'll miss you."

Maurice responded, "Goodnight, Belle, have a good time."

Cecil then said, "We'll be home in the morning, Dear."

There was a knock on the door. The Pontmercys' groom announced the carriage's arrival. Belle and Cecil walked out the door with a final glance at Maurice.

The carriage ride took ten minutes to get to the current Paris Opera house. Each guest was announced as he or she arrived.

"Colonel and Baroness Pontmercy."

The couple walked down the staircase.

"Lady Toussaint and Mistress Belle."

Cecil held a straight posture and Belle followed in step with her mother.

They walked down the aisle halfway and then joined the crowd. Some people on the sidelines whispered to each other with gossip about the Toussaints, but Cecil did not pay attention. There was nothing new about her family that would attract attention.

For half an hour while waiting for the hostess to arrive, Lady Toussaint mingled with the other guests and introduced her daughter to the many people she could not remember from the last party or did not know. Belle tried very hard to remember them, but sometimes, they were difficult to understand as they spoke. However, Belle's politeness and the way she spoke about current events, despite her young age, impressed the nobility greatly.

Finally, the trumpets sounded everyone cleared the aisle awaiting the arrival of Lady Moncharmin and whoever the guest of honor was.

The doors at the top of the staircase opened. An older woman in her sixties and a man in his forties with dark facial hair and wearing robes that symbolized royalty appeared in the doorway.

"Lady Moncharmin presents the guest of honor, His Majesty King Andre Pierre Alexander Cartier of the Department Oise in the Region of Picardy."

Everyone in the front of the crowd was silent, but the people standing in the back were whispering about the surprise guest. Belle was accidentally pushed to the front in the chaos of getting the aisle ready for the arrivals, but she was happy to see a real king in person.

She remembered reading about the French Revolution and its ramifications on the noble and royal classes. The Picardy region was one of the few French regions that did not lose the minor royal families since those rulers were very nice to their people. The people from the neighboring villages protected the royals from the rebels. Belle thought about how interesting it was that the Revolution was a little over thirty years ago, even before her mother was born. It was rumored that during the Revolution was when her grandfather gambled the money so they were insignificant when the rebels wanted to behead the nobles, although most of the other families attending here escaped to other regions.

Lady Moncharmin and the king descended the staircase slowly and very regally in Belle's opinion.

As they walked by the people, each group bowed or curtsied. Belle curtsied as the king went by and he watched her with interest as she was the only child at the frontlines. She did not notice.

Finally, Lady Moncharmin and King Pierre reached the platform that included a throne-like chair. The musicians started the music and people moved to the dance floor to a waltz. Belle was tapped on the shoulder and she turned. The seventeen-year-old future Comte de Chagny asked her to dance. Because they had known each other for years, she agreed.

All the mothers with their teenaged daughters stood with jealousy on the sidelines.

For Belle and her partner, it was fun to see their reactions, even though their dance was awkward.

Philbert de Chagny stated, "I guess every woman is trying for my father's attention."

Belle responded with a smile, "I think if the king was not present, you and your father would be the most honored people in the room."

Philbert bent down a little closer, "This whole thing has been madness since I turned seventeen. The only reason my father did not arrange a marriage is that growing up I was, in his words, a 'walking disaster.'"

"Well, I do remember a fourteen-year-old boy bowing and when he stood up, his hand slammed into a maître d' causing him to walk around bent over."

Philbert rolled his eyes, "Will I ever live that down?"

Belle replied, "Don't worry, after tonight, you shall be engaged, married within a year, and never have to see brainless children of other nobles again."

"You're not brainless, although those girls on the sidelines may fit that description."

Belle looked over at them, "Well, I hope not all as one of them will be your future bride."

Philbert asked, "Belle, if you were old enough, would you accept a proposal from me?"

Belle was taken aback, "Philbert, you have been a good friend to me and are helping me get noticed, but if we were closer in age, I doubt you would have had anything to do with me because of my father and your parents' thoughts."

"You may be correct in that assumption."

The dance stopped. Before Belle went to the sidelines, she quickly said, "Philbert, don't worry about it. You might be better off with a brainless noblewoman anyway. I have too much of my own mind."

Philbert took Belle's hand and kissed it, "Thank you, Mademoiselle. Au revoir, Belle."

"Au revoir."

Meanwhile, during the dance, the king watched Belle very carefully and thought she carried herself quite well despite the awkwardness of the women and the difference in her and her partner's heights.

He turned to Lady Moncharmin, "Who was that child dancing with the young man?"

Lady Moncharmin was surprised, "Oh, that is the daughter of Lady Toussaint."

King Pierre turned back to the girl and watched her on the sidelines, "So she is of nobility with a title."

Lady Moncharmin started to feel nervous at the way the king was watching Belle, "Half nobility. Lady Toussaint's father gambled most of the fortune away and so his daughter had to marry a peasant. The child is the result of the ill-matched union."

King Pierre stroked his beard, "She holds herself quite well and at such a young age. I wish to speak with Lady Toussaint and her daughter immediately."

Lady Moncharmin gasped, "But, Your Majesty, are you sure when you know of her heritage?"

"I am quite sure. Call them now."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A waiter found Lady Toussaint and gave her the message. She then walked over to where her daughter was.

"Belle?"

Belle turned towards her mother. "Yes, Mama."

"We are to be presented to the king of Oise."

Belle was in shock, "Me too?"

Cecil nodded, "Yes, come with me."

Belle took her mother's hand and walked over to platform where the king and Lady Moncharmin were seated. When they arrived before the platform, Lady Moncharmin stood as Belle and Cecil curtsied.

Lady Moncharmin announced, "Your Majesty, may I present Lady Toussaint and her daughter, Mademoiselle Belle."

King Pierre said, "Yes, you ladies may rise." Belle and her mother straightened up. He then gestured for Belle to come forward and her mother lightly tapped her on the back.

Belle walked in front of the king.

He asked, "What is your name, Child?"

"Belle Avisé, Your Majesty."

"Your age?"

"I have eight years."

King Pierre stroked his beard again, "I see. Tell me about your education."

Belle squirmed a little, "I can speak Spanish and Italian."

"Fluently?"

"Yes, and I am beginning to learn English and German."

King Pierre nodded. "Thank you, Lady Belle, you're dismissed."

Belle looked over at her mother and Cecil made a gesture for her daughter to go. Belle quickly curtsied at the king and left.

Lady Toussaint walked up to the king. He then asked her, "Is it true that the child is half-commoner?"

Cecil tried to keep her flinch unnoticeable, "Yes, Your Majesty."

King Pierre spoke to himself, "If I had not seen her for myself, I never would have considered…"

He then spoke to Lady Toussaint, "Could you come to my home in three weeks' time to discuss your daughter's future?"

Cecil was in shock, "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I understand. My nephew is ten years old, the heir to the department. He shall take over when he comes of age. I need to make sure the line continues and t'is time I made arrangements for his marriage. Your daughter may be the betrothed."

Lady Toussaint looked at her daughter in a corner. Marriage to a prince, the actual heir no less, was far beyond anything she could have hoped for her daughter and Maurice would certainly approve this for Belle's future. "Of course, Your Majesty, I shall arrive in three weeks' time."

The king dismissed Lady Toussaint and she left with her thoughts in disarray. She did not want to arrange a marriage for Belle, but the offer of a prince was too much to pass. She decided not to tell Belle until her meeting with the king.

By the end of the night, Philbert de Chagny was engaged to the daughter of de Moerogis de la Martynière. Belle never saw her friend again after that night and forgot about him in time. Her life was about to become more chaotic than she ever wanted.


	2. The Betrothal

Thank you everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story.

I decided not to include Cecil's meeting with King Pierre as the terms will have to be explained to Belle. The repeat seemed unnecessary and I do not want to bore readers.

Secondly, the prince's name will be "Henri" eventually. In my "Freedom of Choice" story, I did state that the prince disliked the name "Adam" even though everyone called him that. I am trying to keep this story as consistent as possible with the three _Beauty and the Beast _movies, and, I guess, the game which first called the prince "Adam." Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of _Beauty and the Beast_, which are owned by Disney. The nobles (with the exception of three in the first chapter), King Pierre, and Cecil Toussaint are the only characters I created.

* * *

Cecil and Belle just came home the morning after the party. Belle, having energy from sleeping for six hours on a chair, threw open the door and ran shouting, "Papa, we're home!"

Maurice walked into the kitchen, "Yes, I can hear." He bent down to take his daughter into his arms and picked her up. She threw her arms around his neck.

"I missed you, Papa."

"And I missed you, sweetheart."

Belle pulled away slightly, "I wish you could come."

"I know, but at least you had a good time." He decided to put Belle down knowing what she was about to do once he asked his next question. "Did anything interesting happen?"

Belle's smile grew and she started skipping around the kitchen as she spoke, "A king was there, the king of Oise. Mama and I were presented to him."

Maurice was amazed, "A king?" He looked at Cecil who nodded and he realized there was more to the story from the look on her face.

Cecil needed to speak to Maurice alone, "Belle, I don't know where you got your energy, but you should get some more sleep."

Belle looked at her mother cheekily, "More like you don't have energy."

Cecil crouched down to Belle's level and stroked her cheek, "Yes, you know it. Now, you should take off your dress carefully and put it on the master bed, and take a nap for at least an hour. You and Papa will do something together a little later. I promise."

"All right." Belle was excited to do something with her father, so she ran to the master bedroom to take off her dress.

When Cecil heard the door close, she sighed. Maurice walked over to Cecil, "So was the ball a success?"

She walked over to a chair and sat down, "More of a success than we could have predicted. Belle was noticed."

Maurice sat next to her, "Noticed? You mean she got a marriage proposal?"

"Sure did," said a young voice as Belle entered the room in her undergarments. "Well, actually, it wasn't a real marriage proposal. Philbert de Chagny asked if I were older, would I accept a proposal from him. I said no."

Cecil looked at Belle sternly, "Belle, what did I say?"

Belle quickly said, "Sorry, Mama," and ran to her room.

Maurice and Cecil looked at each other and giggled a little. He sobered up first and toned down his voice, "Now, tell me about this marriage proposal."

Cecil took a deep breath, "Maurice, this is better than we ever could have dreamed for Belle. The king noticed her."

Maurice shook his head, "Oh no, he is not going to marry my daughter, no sir. He must be, what, thirty-something?"

She tried not to laugh as she replied, "Well, I think he is in his forties, but he does not want Belle for his wife. He's only the interim king since his nephew, the real heir, is only ten."

"And has Belle met this prince?"

"No, he wasn't at the party."

Maurice glanced towards Belle's room. "I don't know, Cecil, an arranged marriage for Belle?"

"I had the same thoughts, but you have to admit, she will be comfortable for the rest of her life. She can go further in life than we ever thought possible."

"Why didn't Belle tell me about this?"

"She doesn't know. I am supposed to go to Oise in three weeks and discuss the terms with the king. I'll make sure that Belle is not forced into a marriage before she turns seventeen."

Maurice sighed. He had to admit that if this worked, it was a sure thing for Belle's future, unlike yesterday when everything was so uncertain. "When do we plan to tell her?"

"I'll tell her after my meeting with the king."

* * *

King Pierre traveled to the vacation castle where his nephew was living. When he arrived, he looked for the one person who he entrusted his nephew's upbringing. "Mrs. Potts?"

Mrs. Potts came down the stairs quickly, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry but we weren't expecting you." When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she curtsied.

King Pierre replied, "Yes, I realize that, but I bring news about my nephew and his education."

"Yes, Sire?"

"I'm trying to arrange a marriage for my nephew."

Mrs. Potts was surprised, "Marriage? Why he is only ten."

If this was any other servant, King Pierre would have scolded him or her for giving an opinion, but Mrs. Potts was different. "I realize that, but he becomes of age in eight years and he must be prepared to step up to his duty, including marriage and heirs. Where is he?"

"Why he is up in the study with his tutor, Sir."

"Yes, well, how many languages can he speak fluently?"

Mrs. Potts was flustered by this news and the question. "None as far as I know, Sir."

"Have you tried to teach him English?"

She replied, "No, he is still learning the other romance languages."

King Pierre almost growled. "Fire the tutor. Obviously, he is not working hard enough with the boy. I'll send a new one next week and you keep this one until then. I want lunch within an hour to be had with my nephew."

Mrs. Potts was shocked, but she answered, "Yes Sir," and walked away to the kitchens.

King Pierre went to the study to find his nephew.

The young prince was bored as the tutor babbled about some ancient Greeks. He was not unintelligent, only disinterested, but the tutor thought he was teaching someone who was dim-witted.

The king entered the study just in time to see the prince let out a big yawn as he slouched further into his chair. The tutor rolled his eyes because that must have been the tenth time since they began an hour ago.

The king did not like what he was seeing, "Adam!"

The prince sat up quickly, "Uncle, I didn't know you were coming."

King Pierre responded, "I see."

The tutor bowed when the king made his presence known. Pierre dismissed him for the day and the prince smirked.

Pierre then looked at his nephew, "Get that smirk off your face."

The prince lost the smirk quickly. He gave a slight bow, "Yes, Uncle."

The king then asked, "Tell me what you've been learning."

He shrugged, "Things."

"What sort of things?"

The prince thought before saying, "Ancient Greeks, languages, grammar, things."

The king ignored his response. "Clean up, lunch is in twenty minutes."

The prince ran quickly from the room.

At lunch, King Pierre and his nephew sat on opposite sides of the table. The king thought it was time for them to have their talk.

"Adam, it is time to talk about your future as a ruler."

The prince had a nervous look on his face, but he quickly disguised it. He nodded to his uncle.

"First, which languages are you fluent in?"

The prince's eyes widened, "Um, none."

"None?"

"No, Sir."

King Pierre thought about Belle and her education. His nephew was two years older. "Well, in that case, you will receive a new tutor next week so that you can learn. You realize how important the different languages are."

The prince recited, "They help me to communicate with other diplomats."

"Correct. Now, there are other aspects to being a ruler besides languages."

"Yes, Uncle."

"You will need to secure the future of the monarchy."

The prince did not understand but nodded his head.

"So, you have two choices. When you turn sixteen, you will be sent to a university in Britain or be prepared for a betrothed."

The prince did not understand the second choice, but anything was better than being sent off for more schooling, right? "I think I rather have the second choice."

The king was happy, "Fine then, you will still have a tutor, but the schooling will not be as long."

"Great."

King Pierre gave the prince a look and the prince cowered. They continued the rest of their meal in silence.

* * *

Three weeks later –

"Mama, Christmas is only two weeks away," Belle complained.

Cecil was packing for a week's stay at King Pierre's castle. "I know, sweetheart, and I'll be back in plenty of time. It's only a week."

Belle crossed her arms, sat on the bed, and pouted.

Cecil tried not to laugh at her daughter's expression. Most of the time, Belle acted beyond her age but the times when she did not were too few and too cute.

"What about Papa's gift?"

Cecil answered, "I promise we'll have enough time to go shopping for Papa's gift. There is enough money for you to get started for your friends and I'll be back when you need help."

Belle huffed. Cecil walked over to her. "Think of it this way – you'll be home with Papa."

The little girl could not maintain her pouty face as she thought about time with her father. However, she did manage to keep the smile small enough that it almost looked like she was indifferent. Cecil looked up at the ceiling and shook her head slightly.

The carriage ride with Lady Montcharmin took the better part of a day. The atmosphere was thick between them, although Cecil did not know why. Lady Montcharmin hoped that her granddaughter would be noticed and chosen at the party, not some half-breed like Lady Toussaint's daughter.

Upon the arrival at the castle, it was three days before the king spoke to Lady Toussaint about the betrothal. Lady Toussaint explained her plans for Belle's education and was honest about Belle's time with peasants. The king told her about his conditions for the marriage. She agreed to all except when the marriage would occur. After some explanation as to why her daughter should wait, the king and she made a deal.

Lady Belle Toussaint was betrothed to Prince Alexander Henri Adam Cartier.


	3. Telling the Children

Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting this story. It does mean a lot.

Now, this chapter has some religious content and the characters are Roman Catholic to keep up with the authenticity of the story. This chapter also has some Christmas in it, but I really do not consider it a Christmas chapter. The reason I set it around Christmas is to give a cameo to a character vital to _Beauty and the Beast_. I am not sure if this character will appear again. In addition, I tried to write the accent for Babette, known also as the featherduster in the movie, but I am not sure how well I did. If her dialogue is too confusing, let me know and I will change it to normal English. This chapter is very long and I cannot promise that all future chapters will be this long. I have no idea when I will update next, but hopefully within two weeks. The next chapter will be the meeting between Belle and Henri. I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from or the movie _Beauty and the Beast_. Some of the dialogue and a scene is taken mostly from _The Enchanted Christmas_.

* * *

Belle was having a fun week with her father. They used two days to tour the city of Paris, which they rarely were able to do. She also helped him with his inventions and they spent many hours laughing when something did not work or just reminiscing. Maurice always made sure to include Belle's noble life in their conversations so when, if the betrothal worked out, Belle became part of the royal class, she would not feel uncomfortable around him.

While Belle did love her mother very much, she realized she was closer to her father, which saddened her a bit since she did spend more time with her mother. Well, she knew she was very lucky having two loving parents and being allowed to have more of an education than she would have had otherwise. Books were a very important part of her life, although neither of her parents read much. However, the fact that Maurice did talk to Belle about her books, such as the themes and locations, more than her mother probably accounted for the bond between father and daughter.

* * *

A letter arrived at the castle for Mrs. Potts.

Mrs. Potts was speaking with Lumiere and Cogsworth getting ready for the Christmas celebration when she received it.

After reading it, she sighed. Lumiere saw her expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

Her hands dropped as she responded, "I had hoped that the king wouldn't do this to the boy."

"Do what," Cogsworth asked.

"He arranged a marriage."

Lumiere was the first to react, "But the master is only ten."

Cogsworth commented, "His father was supposed to be betrothed at that age, but the revolution and some initial problems with Napoleon delayed things."

Lumiere sighed thinking about how the prince would react to the news. "Well, who is going to tell him and when?"

Mrs. Potts replied, "I will, but not until after Christmas. No sense ruining the holiday for him."

Babette happened to be walking by at this time. "Why not? He's not going to be happy anyway." She had no idea what the conversation was about, but she could infer that it involved telling the master something.

The three looked at her. Mrs. Potts was a little upset at Babette's attitude. "Babette, he is still the prince and things may change."

Babette huffed, "It'z our fault 'e iz ze way 'e iz. We felt sorry for 'im for losing family, uncle not wanting 'im and we 'ave created a monster. Zings will change for ze worst. It will be interezing to zee 'im not get 'is way for once."

Lumiere lifted his arms around Babette, "Now, Ma Cherie. I'm sure he will settle down in time, but he is the prince. Calm down, please."

Babette relaxed into his arms as he started nuzzling her neck. Cogsworth rolled his eyes and Mrs. Potts tried to ignore them. Cogsworth looked at her and they walked away from the couple into another corridor.

Cogsworth asked Mrs. Potts, "What are the terms?"

Mrs. Potts looked at the letter. "It does not state terms, only a description of the girl. It also says for me to go and meet the girl after the holidays. A two-day trip at the most. It's supposed to give me ideas on how the handle the tutor for the prince's education."

"But the master has not been bad in his education."

She replied, "But the girl is eight and all ready fluent in two languages. I think the king is worried that if she is more educated than the prince then she might be the dominant one."

"Why choose her then?"

"That in itself is a reason, I'm guessing. She apparently carries herself well and would make a good diplomat if the prince does not learn. The king is insuring the department, although he will wish for the girl to learn her place."

Cogsworth sighed, "He thinks this girl will be good for the master, but wants to change her personality. It will be interesting."

Later that night, Cogsworth told the other servants, mainly as a warning of what would happen with the prince within the next few weeks and then the coming years. They all agreed that it would most likely not be pleasant.

* * *

In Paris, Cecil just returned to her husband and daughter. Again, Belle had a big burst of energy and jumped around hugging her mother tightly. In the midst of greeting her daughter, she looked over at Maurice who had questioning eyes. She nodded slightly at him and she saw him sigh. They needed to talk before they could tell Belle about the arrangement.

Cecil said, "Belle, dearest, I'm very tired from the journey. Do you mind if I went to lay down? I promise we shall do something tomorrow."

Belle nodded, "I'll go and play with the Girys." She ran into her room to get dressed for the outside.

Cecil and Maurice went to their room. Maurice asked, "Well?"

Cecil responded, "It's done. She's betrothed to Prince Alexander Henri Adam Cartier of Oise."

Maurice refrained from sighing as he was confused. His daughter's future was secure, but he knew she was not going to like it. As their conversation continued, he knew their daughter would put up a fight.

The next day, Belle asked her mother while putting on her coat, "Can we go shopping?"

Cecil knew that her courage would fail her if she did not tell Belle soon. "Um, I need to talk to you first. You might want to sit down." Belle looked at her but did as she said.

Cecil took a deep breath, "Belle, you know your father and I have wanted you to be noticed, which is why I bring you along with me to those parties."

Belle nodded, suddenly afraid of what her mother was going to say, although her expression was impassive. The main question in her mind was "Who?"

"Well, Belle, you were noticed… by the king."

Belle could not hide her shock. The king was just so… old. A marriage to him would be… yuck.

Cecil realized what was going through Belle's mind, "Oh, no, not to the king, but to his nephew, the next ruler of Oise."

Belle had no idea how to react. If she had to guess, her mother knew of this impending marriage the night of the party, which made her mad. Her mother should have at least had the courtesy to tell her immediately. Instead of saying anything, she jumped off of the chair and ran outside.

Cecil sighed and Maurice entered the kitchen. He realized that Belle must have ran. He said, "I'll go get her." He grabbed his cloak and walked out of the house.

Belle was sitting on the water fountain in the middle of the poorer section of Paris. Maurice walked up to her. "Belle?"

Belle said accusingly, "You knew about this. Mama told you before she left. Maybe the morning when we came home."

Maurice sighed and sat next to her. "Yes, Belle, I did know."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Maurice shook his head, "Many reasons – scared of your reaction, confused about my own feelings, but Belle, this isn't set in stone yet. Your mother and I have always wanted the best for you and marriage to a prince is beyond anything we could have expected."

Belle just sighed in response. Maurice continued hoping that one day she would change her mind so that he would not eat his words, "You don't have to go through this Belle. You'll continue on with your education as you have been, so that won't change. Just meet the prince and get to know him a little before you decide. Besides, think of all the good you can do as a princess. You can change the world, or at least, Oise."

Belle could not deny that the idea of helping people through being a princess was attractive. More than that, being a princess would make her father proud as he had seen what incompetent rulers could do and she would prove those ideas false. Maurice spoke again, "At least, listen to the terms."

Belle nodded and they both walked back to the house.

When they entered, Belle sat down across from her mother letting her speak. Cecil started to list the terms, "You will continue your education for the next six years. Before your fifteenth birthday, you and I will go to the castle to live there. I will only stay for a year and the king will be there as well. After that year, a servant named Mrs. Potts will be your chaperone. You will learn things you need to know for diplomacy and being a princess in general. The marriage will not take place until after your seventeenth birthday, so you will have plenty of time to get to know the prince."

Belle asked, "What about Papa? Is he going to be living there too?"

Cecil knew how fond Belle was of her father, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart, but he cannot come."

Belle commented, "Because he's a peasant." God, how she hated the social classes. Her father was the greatest person in the world, but no one would look twice at him since he was "only" a peasant.

Cecil heard the bitterness and tried to cheer her up, "Well, he will be at the wedding and you can write to him whenever you want."

That helped very little, but Belle asked, "So he will give me away?" When she thought about marriage before, she usually pictured only her father giving her away.

Cecil looked up at Maurice. He stepped in and said, "Belle, I would only be an embarrassment for you if I gave you away, but I will be there in the back watching you and feeling like a proud father."

Belle felt like her world was crashing around her as both parents continued to tell her how good this marriage would be for her.

Later that night, when Belle was alone and able to think, she realized she would go along with the betrothal because her father wanted this for her. Still, she was determined not to like it but at least make the best out of her situation.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain Enchantress was annoyed. After a hundred years of seeing the future and debating, she finally decided to put a curse on the young prince of Oise when the Creator told her he decided that Lady Toussaint would live and not die within the next two years. That changed many plans.

She still thought it would be better to curse the prince but the Creator said "no." She never cursed anyone to be malicious, only to help them. Would Belle be able to reach the prince's soul after six extra years of him being spoiled and selfish not knowing he was doing anything wrong? At least if she cursed him, she would be able to tell him that he had no love inside him. She had seen many possible futures and there were two that seemed the most possible for this new situation – one of which looked very bleak.

Of course, even if she did curse the prince, the way the curse ended would be their decision. Her job was not to predict the exact future, but to look at all the possible futures, which were infinite, and estimate which ones were most likely to happen. Well, if anyone could reach the prince in any state, it would be Belle.

The Enchantress then thought, _I am so sorry, Future Princess, I cannot help._

* * *

The prince was celebrating Christmas with his staff. Well, "celebrating" was not the right word. He had just unwrapped his first present.

"A storybook? You call this a present?" The prince threw the book to the side and looked at the royal composer. "I hope you have something better for me, Forte," he said menacingly.

"Yes Sir. Of course, Master." Forte sat down at the organ and played a dreary gothic tune.

The prince interrupted with a snarl, "What is that?"

Forte was a little flustered as he answered, "Um, a small piece in your honor, Master." He gave a low bow while sitting on the bench.

The prince flopped back in his throne and made a disgusted sound. "I hate it. Forte, that stuff is gloomy."

The presents continued coming for the next hour and every one of them the prince disliked. He complained about the dinner as well. Finally, when it was all over, the prince stood up and walked over to the doors to lead him out of the room. Before he left, he turned to his servants and said, "I hope you find better presents for my birthday in a few months." With that, he left the room.

The servants shook their heads at each other. Lumiere looked at Cogsworth, "Well, it's our fault. We all felt sorry for him since he lost his parents and now we're stuck with that for the rest of our working days."

Babette then asked, "Can you imagine 'ow 'e will be as a man? I shudder to zink about it."

Cogsworth reminded them, "Well, he is betrothed and his uncle will be coming to stay for the first year the girl is here, so maybe he will whip his nephew into shape." More details had come in another letter describing the terms of the arrangement.

Lumiere responded, "We can only hope." The rest of the servants nodded their heads and went to clean up the room. Mrs. Potts picked up the eleven-month old Chip, feeling guilty that she practically abandoned the prince when he needed her most.

* * *

Belle awoke very suddenly. She hoped her future husband would be nothing like the boy from the dream, so arrogant and selfish. He complained about everything and did not have any manners, although she had to agree with him that the music Forte played was gloomy. Still, she would have been polite enough to say "thank you" and hope after she would never have to hear that piece of music again. Also, the way he stormed out, well, Belle felt so sorry for the servants in her dream, although the dream ended when the boy slammed the door. However, no one could be that horrible, right?

She slipped out of bed on got down on her knees to pray. Maybe it would make her feel better. She made the sign of the cross as she was taught, "Au nom du père et du fils et de l'esprit saint Amen. Mon Dieu, please let my future husband to be a kind person, someone who will be nice. Please help us to learn to love each other in some way. Amen." She quickly made the sign of the cross again and got back into bed.

Before she went to sleep, she looked outside her bedroom window at the stars and said, "Mon Dieu, Joyeux Noël."

Belle soon fell asleep.

* * *

The servants were cleaning up the castle from the Christmas celebration. As far as they knew, the prince was still asleep in his bed.

Cogsworth cornered Mrs. Potts who was carrying Chip. "I think we should tell him immediately."

Mrs. Potts nodded, "Find Frances and then I will do it."

He responded, "You should have Lumiere or myself with you when you tell him."

"Why is that?"

"Well, you've seen his behavior at times. Tell him something like this when he won't get his way and it'll be worse."

Mrs. Potts was very concerned and her guilt increased. Cogsworth noticed her expression and patted her arm. "It's not your fault, Mrs. Potts. The rest of us created the problem."

"But I made myself unavailable for advice or to help out around here a little."

Cogsworth felt sorry for her. He knew that unless the prince turned out well, her guilt would not disappear and he was not that sure if it would be the case. He and the other servants did not blame her for not being able to raise the prince as she had since the late princess died. Her husband died two years ago very suddenly and soon she found that she was with child. The pregnancy was difficult and she was bedridden most of the time. Once Chip was born, it had been hard for her to get back into working because she was taking care of a baby. However, Chip growing made it more difficult for her to work again as he liked to crawl around a lot. The servants felt sorry that the prince lost both parents, actually two sets of parents as Mr. and Mrs. Potts became his surrogate parents. His uncle sent the boy to what was the vacation castle and the servants to the late princess and king moved with him, while the temporary king brought his servants from the mansion where he resided for a few years. Few of the servants for the late princess and king had children, but everyone felt that the prince's situation was worse than their servant status and they began to spoil him not realizing the ramifications of their actions.

"The poor boy. His main problem is he never learned to love," Mrs. Potts spoke, but did not realize she said anything aloud.

Cogsworth looked at her, "What?"

Mrs. Potts jumped a little but decided to elaborate. "Think about it. His mother loved him dearly, but she died when he was five, and his father was too busy running the department to show any interest in his son. His uncle sent him here and now, we can't hope for his lesson on love due to the arranged marriage, although how I wish and pray things could be different for him."

"They may fall in love, Mrs. Potts, it's not determined."

Mrs. Potts nodded, "I hope for that, but do you remember the late princess? She came to marry believing that the arranged marriage would be of love and affection. Within a few years, her innocent dream was gone and her only hope was her son. When she died, she practically died alone."

They both looked down in silence in respect of the girl for a few moments. Cogsworth looked up and mumbled something about finding Frances. Mrs. Potts held her son tightly and she felt him give her something-like-a-hug back.

With Frances taking care of Chip, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth walked up the stairs to the West Wing, all of them shaking slightly. They stood outside the door and Mrs. Potts was the first one to gain the courage to knock on the door.

The door was thrown open by an irritated prince in the doorway still wearing his pajamas. He crossed his arms and spat out, "What do you want? I don't see a breakfast tray, so you're here to apologize for the horrible 'gifts?'"

It took all their strengths not to look at each other, but they kept eye contact with the prince. Cogsworth was the first to respond, "Um, actually, we need to speak with you, Master."

The prince raised his eyebrow and did not say anything. Mrs. Potts gained some more courage and asked, "May we come in to speak with you?"

The prince rolled his eyes and made an exaggerated hand motion for the trio to enter, which they did a little too slowly knowing the explosion that was sure to come. Lumiere closed the door behind them although that made all three of them feel less secure.

The boy thought they were acting strangely and he was getting impatient, "Well?"

All three looked at each other and Mrs. Potts finally stepped forward crouching to the height of the prince. "Master, I received a letter from your uncle a couple of weeks ago." She was starting to lose her courage.

The prince started to tap his foot, "And?"

Mrs. Potts took a deep breath, "And you are now betrothed."

The prince was becoming more annoyed. He remembered his uncle saying something about being betrothed over a month ago, so he knew this all ready, but he did not understand what the word meant. But why should he, a prince of Oise, look up words in a dictionary? Ordinary people – servants, peasants – they should look up words, not him. "So? My uncle told me during his last visit."

The trio looked at each other in surprise. There was no explosion during his uncle's last visit.

Lumiere, without thinking, asked in surprise, "You mean you don't mind you're getting married?"

Fireworks went off as this comment sunk into the prince's mind. "Married? What do you mean I'm getting married?"

The three jumped back.

Mrs. Potts asked tentatively, "Didn't anyone tell you that a betrothal meant that two people are engaged? In this case, arranged by your uncle?"

The explosion changed from one being of surprise and anger to one of panic. For the first time in a few years, the prince seemed like a little boy again instead of an unholy terror. Of course, he became that again soon enough.

He started having a panic attack saying, "No, no, no, no, no!" and repeating it over and over. He ran around the room and eventually was hitting against a wall. Slowly, he sunk to the floor and had a full temper tantrum. He screamed and yelled while pounding on the floor, and the trio was at a loss of what to do to help him.

The men left the room while Mrs. Potts watched the prince from a distance. Every half hour, servants came in and took shifts watching over the boy. He did not stop until three hours later and fell asleep on the floor. A male servant walked in and carried the boy to his bed. The prince would not wake up until morning.

In the kitchen, the trio heard the news that the prince was finally asleep. "Oh, thank the Lord," Mrs. Potts exclaimed.

Cogsworth responded, "I never expected that reaction. He was behaving just like a baby. I remember seeing my niece having a tantrum when she was three, but I think his was worse."

Mrs. Potts admonished him, "Didn't you see what was happening with him? Yes, he might have behaved like a younger child, but he was scared – scared of the unknown future. His behavior was not of anger."

Cogsworth did not want to listen, "Well, let's just hope that the girl took the news better than he did. Can you imagine what two of them will be like in the castle?"

Lumiere said, "Oh, Cogsworth, it'll be six years before the girl comes. The prince has plenty of time to grow up."

Mrs. Potts did not like the conversation. Yes, the prince would have to grow up, but both children would be growing up awfully fast. However, there was no way to stop what was happening.

* * *

Two weeks later –

"So Mrs. Potts is coming for the day," Belle asked her mother.

Cecil answered, "Yes, but only for a couple of hours. She is needed to take care of the prince in Oise."

Belle's face drooped at the mention of the prince, but she would go through this for her father.

An hour later, a carriage pulled up and a short plump woman with white hair came out. Cecil saw her arrival from the window and had the door open for her. Mrs. Potts entered the small home.

Mrs. Potts curtsied while she spoke, "Lady Toussaint, I presume?"

Cecil gave a small curtsy, "Yes, welcome to our home, Mrs. Potts."

A sound of laughter came from the master bedroom and Belle riding piggyback on Maurice entered the kitchen.

Cecil tried not to shake her head at the childish behavior her husband and daughter were displaying in front of a castle worker. "This is my husband, Maurice, and my daughter, Belle."

Belle stopped laughing when she saw Mrs. Potts. The arrival of a person from the castle was the first real confirmation that her betrothal was real and not some nightmare. Belle knew that not many people expected a child like her, so precocious and adult-like, which would make it easy for her to be difficult towards Mrs. Potts. Maybe if Mrs. Potts reported her difficulties, she would not have to marry the prince.

Mrs. Potts said, "I'm please to meet both of you."

Maurice gave a slight bow, but decided not to say anything to ruin his daughter's chances of a better life. Belle did not show any sign of a response. Cecil realized that her daughter was calculating how to use her personality to either annoy or make Mrs. Potts uncomfortable.

There was an uneasy silence for a few minutes. Then, Mrs. Potts asked, "May I speak with Belle alone?"

Cecil nodded, "Of course. Belle? Please?"

Belle refrained from sighing, but nodded. Cecil and Maurice walked into their bedroom leaving her alone with Mrs. Potts.

Mrs. Potts could tell that Belle was no ordinary child and was not quite sure how to begin with her. She asked, "Well, Belle, do you have any questions for me?"

Belle shook her head. She knew Mrs. Potts would tell her anything she needed to know.

Mrs. Potts decided to go with what typical girls would want to know and maybe that would flow into a real conversation. "You don't want to know if the prince is handsome or what living in a castle would be like?"

Belle responded, "Does it really matter if the prince is handsome? It's what a person is on the inside that matters. My father taught me that. I never really considered my father to be handsome but he is the nicest man I ever knew. As for castle living, I'm not that interested since it is probably like high society."

Mrs. Potts was taken aback by Belle. _She'll make a good wife for that stubborn prince, although she does not want it._ Most girls would bend over backwards for a chance that this girl was given without her consent.

Belle was looking at Mrs. Potts intently and Mrs. Potts was at a lost. Belle decided to ease up a little on her since she liked Mrs. Potts and knew that she was only doing her duty for the king. "All right, I do have some questions. Will I have a tutor when I come to the castle?"

Mrs. Potts shook her head, "I don't believe so. You will have other things to learn, such as how to host dinner parties, the history of the department and the region before."

Belle stated, "I all ready know the history of Oise. I read a lot about it, even books before the revolution."

"Well, Belle, you may have a tutor to learn some languages."

Belle answered smugly, "I hope to be fluent in two more languages before I come to the castle. I'm sure you all ready know about me being fluent Spanish and Italian."

"Yes, I have heard. Well, you are learning or have learned the most important languages, but you may be able to learn dialects from different areas and even lesser known languages such as Danish." She finally grabbed Belle's attention as Belle sat on the edge of her seat literally taking in every word. Mrs. Potts was surprised at how much Belle thirsted for more knowledge.

Belle chimed in, "Besides languages, I also want to learn more arithmetic, especially accounting. Mama is in charge of our funds here."

"Belle, we do have an accountant at the castle."

Belle sighed, "Can't he have an assistant?"

Mrs. Potts knew that the king was not going to like this, but she thought that Nicolas Compte, the accountant, would not mind having a helper. "We'll see." Belle was encouraged by this.

The two spoke for a few more hours about certain aspects of castle life, although it was nothing superficial of which Belle made sure. When the sun was beginning to set, Mrs. Potts got ready to leave.

Before she left, Belle apologized for being difficult at first. Of course, Mrs. Potts understood the reasoning and hoped that the prince and this girl would at least get along so their marriage would be semi-pleasant, but with the prince's behavior, she was not sure if it could happen. Belle definitely had a stubborn streak that could match up to the prince's, but she used her stubbornness in a more effective way. When she originally came here, she thought that Belle would have a handful with the prince, but now, she thought the opposite. It would be interesting to see what the next six years would bring when these two young people finally met.

* * *

Author's Note: The French translation for some of Belle's dialogue is "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."/"Merry Christmas, my God."


	4. The Meeting

Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting this story. It is getting a better response than I hoped.

To Lexaia, I am glad you like the story as it is. The reasoning to use the 1800s as the setting is that the original fairytale was first published in 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, so I wanted to set my stories after the fairytale was published and somehow coincide it with the Hunchback story due to Belle's cameo, so the years surrounding the publication of Victor Hugo's novel seemed appropriate. In addition, I am a huge fan of Broadway musicals, so the other two big shows that take place in France (_Les Miserables_ and _The Phantom of the Opera_) could be incorporated into this story as a tribute.

This chapter is not as long as my last and I hope to update again before too long. However, I want to finish Chapter 12 first of my "Freedom of Choice" story. I hope everyone enjoys this update. Most of the italics are thoughts of the characters. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned _Beauty and the Beast_, but I do not. Belle's wish comes from the song "Belle (Reprise)" in which the lyrics were written by Howard Ashman.

* * *

Mrs. Potts arrived back at the castle. Frances, a maid, was holding a crying Chip. Mrs. Potts ran to her son and took him into her arms. He immediately calmed. Frances was very apologetic, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potts, but he would not take a bottle and has been crying since you left."

"Do not worry about it, Frances. I understand."

Frances curtsied out of respect for Mrs. Potts and went to attend to her chores. Mrs. Potts rocked Chip and talked very soothingly to him until he fell asleep. She looked at his features and thought how handsome he was, just like his father. She traced a finger down his face and then decided she should put him down so she could speak with Lumiere and Cogsworth.

As she left the Entrance Hall, she did not see the young prince hiding behind the banister watching how Mrs. Potts took care of her son. He wondered if his mother ever looked at him like that as he certainly knew his father did not and his uncle did not care for him much. Then, he shook his head of his thoughts. He was a prince and could have anything and everything he wanted. Why then did he feel so empty? He wanted to follow Mrs. Potts as he thought that she was gone to find either Lumiere or Cogsworth, but then decided to summon her later as he knew she would never lie to him. Did she care for him like a mother? Probably not as he was not her son but only her master. None of the servants could care about him except as their future ruler.

The prince barely heard the word "love" let alone knew its meaning, so "care" was the word that meant something for him. There were times when the prince felt some nagging sensation when he yelled at the servants, but he had no idea what it meant. His uncle barked orders at the servants so he was following the example, even though he was never happy. He saw the servants happy at times but he never felt that. He never saw his uncle happy, so probably happy was a bad thing. The more the prince thought about this philosophy, the more his head hurt. Ordinary people thought about things, not him. That is what servants were for – to do everything so he did not have to. He went to his room so he did not have to think.

Mrs. Potts found Cogsworth and Lumiere bickering as usual, but over what, she did not know. When they saw her, they followed her into her room where she put Chip down in his crib.

Mrs. Potts saw the men looking expectantly at her and she began, "The girl is certainly wise beyond her age. Most girls would probably ask if the prince was handsome, she instead asks if she can still have an education and help with the finances of the castle."

Cogsworth commented, "She seems to be impractical. Doesn't she know what a princess is supposed to do?"

She responded, "The problem is she is too practical. I doubt she had a childhood and she is only eight. However, she was playing a game with me, although I would consider it an adult game."

Lumiere and Cogsworth did not understand. Mrs. Potts saw their confused faces and elaborated, "She knew how to use her words and mind trying at first to make me flustered. If I gave the king a bad report about her, then maybe the arrangement can be broken. Unfortunately for her, the way she carried herself made me think she would be good for the prince instead of thinking she was too… difficult to ever become a princess."

Lumiere's interest was piqued, "Well, life will certainly be interesting when she comes here in six years."

Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth agreed.

The six years passed. The prince did talk to Mrs. Potts about his future wife and she answered all his questions. Still, he was not satisfied about the girl. His education continued, but he had great difficulty with learning. None of it was interesting. Over those six years, he had ten tutors as many of them gave up. This latest one believed the boy was mentally limited, but he decided not to give up on the prince as he did not have much work to do and was still receiving a large salary for his "services." Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Lumiere knew what the tutor thought about the prince, but they did not have the power to dismiss him. The king chose the tutors and only the king could fire them. He would not hear a word against his choices.

The most interesting time in the castle was when Cogsworth and Lumiere had to explain the prince's growing up to him when he was fourteen and what came during a marriage. Needless to say, the prince was repulsed and had a bit of a temper tantrum again; this time throwing chairs around his room instead of crying. As time passed, he became more dissatisfied with his life and was more selfish and arrogant. Any little bits of philosophy he thought about when he was ten never entered his head again. Once in a while, one of the trio would try to stand up to the prince's demands attempting deflate his ego getting him ready for his future bride, but it was too late for the prince. Every servant in the castle hoped for a miracle for the prince since being royalty in a post-revolutionary France was a precarious situation.

* * *

Belle was on a whirlwind of emotions over those six years. There were times of happiness and there were times of hopelessness. Learning made her happy. She became fluent in English and German by the time she was ten. However, after she learned those languages, her mother began to pull back on her academic learning and began enforcing lessons on how to be a proper lady. Belle had trouble with this because the posture usually required was too rigid for her. The worse part was that she and her mother stayed mostly with other people of the noble class instead of being at home, so Belle rarely saw her father. She became depressed every time she thought about him because she knew once she was living in Oise, he could no longer be a part of her life.

She finally succeeded in her lady lessons shortly after her thirteenth birthday, but she disliked how her personality had to change. However, her parents did not understand this. She tried to speak with her mother who reminded her it was necessary in order to marry the prince and her father showed her some sympathy, but he ended up saying the same things her mother did. That night, she sat on her bed looking up at the sky. There was a shooting star and Belle made a wish; _I wish to have someone understand I want so much more than they've got planned_.

The day that Belle dreaded most came. She was now fourteen and she was to begin to ready herself for the move to Oise. Her mother bought her a whole new wardrobe for castle life and her father gave her an exquisite shawl that, if needed, could fit in both worlds – the peasant class and the noble class. She understood the symbolism of the precious gift and thanked her father profusely. That night, she cried as silently as possible knowing that she would not be able to see her father again but not wanting her parents to know she was crying.

The day before Cecil and Belle were supposed to leave for Oise, two weeks after Belle's birthday, Maurice fell ill. Because of his older age, he was very susceptible to sickness. Cecil sent letters to the castle and the king informing them of their late arrival. When Maurice was well again, winter had set in and there was a blizzard making the roads too difficult to travel.

The prince turned seventeen in the beginning of spring and word arrived that the Toussaints would arrive two weeks later. This time, two days before Cecil and Belle were going to leave, Maurice became ill again. Each time the journey was delayed, it was harder on Belle since it did hurt for her since her father became ill every time they were going to leave.

She exclaimed to her mother, "He's getting sick because we are leaving! He can't live without us! You'll be gone a year and I will never see him again!"

Cecil shook her head, "Belle, you are exaggerating. He is getting on in years and yes, he does need some care, but we can't live our lives around him. You are young and you have to live your own life. Your father doesn't want you worrying about him."

When the Toussaints finally made it to the castle, it was six months after when they were originally supposed to arrive. Cecil knew the king would not be happy.

The carriage pulled up in front of the gates and the footman got off the carriage to open them. The carriage pulled forward on the causeway towards the castle. Belle had her face practically pressed up against the window. The drop over the causeway seemed to be full of doom as the drop looked very steep, much like her situation.

Inside the West Wing, the prince was pacing knowing what today would bring. He wanted to please his uncle, but it seemed that nothing he did would work, so why should he marry someone he did not know? Lumiere tried once to make him feel better when Mrs. Potts had just come back from Paris saying that the girl was very pretty and that her name was literally "beautiful." Well, his uncle believed that looks were everything and so the girl met that requirement.

He walked to the balcony when he heard the gates open. The carriage arrived and it was time to go downstairs. However, he waited until he could get a glimpse of the girl. He saw the groomsman help a woman out of the carriage and then a young girl with flowing auburn hair. He could not make out her face and so he decided to go downstairs to his uncle.

As the carriage came up to the castle, Belle saw a figure on one of the balconies. From the posture, it was a boy or man with strawberry blond hair. She wondered if that was the prince, since she did not think servants were allowed to stand around on balconies. What was with these royals and nobles anyway? They called on servants for everything and were able to stand around doing nothing. She remembered one weekend she spent at the Montcharmins in which the granddaughter of the family, Madeleine, ordered a servant for a glass of water (even though the kitchen was two rooms away from where they were). That servant had to search around for a place for the sheets she just brought up from the laundry while Madeleine was literally just twiddling her thumbs becoming impatient. Belle had enough then and exclaimed, "Oh, for heaven's sake, I'll get you a glass of water!" Cecil and Lady Montcharmin came in at that time and Belle was promptly scolded for her behavior. The servant also lost a day's wages and Belle felt horrible at that point. Six months later, Belle and Cecil went back to the Montcharmin mansion and Belle gave the servant the lost wage, which she earned secretly from some family friends.

Belle came back to the present. As she looked up at the castle when she was being helped out of the carriage, she wondered how she would ever learn her way around there without getting lost. Mrs. Potts was correct six years ago when she said there was still a lot to learn. Learning her way around the castle would probably take Belle at least a month.

The doors to castle opened and Cecil and Belle walked inside. The king was in the Entrance Hall when they entered and both of them curtsied. The king bowed and walked forward.

"Lady Toussaint, I'm glad you finally made it." The king took her hand and kissed it. He then took Belle's hand and repeated the same gesture, "Lady Belle."

Cecil said, "I am so sorry, Your Majesty, that it has taken so long."

King Pierre was not happy that it was six months later, but he decided to ignore it. The girl was here now and she would not be going back to Paris or her father. Lady Toussaint could decide to do whatever she wanted when the year was over. "Don't worry about it. You're both here now and my nephew should be down soon."

A servant carrying sheets came running by and the king stopped her, "You! Find my nephew and send him down immediately."

The servant ran quickly up the stairs. Belle resisted the urge to roll her eyes upward. Apparently, the king knew the Montcharmins very well.

Cecil and the king talked in hushed tones and Belle just stood there not hearing a word of what they were saying.

Soon, there was a sound on the stairs of someone coming down and the young man Belle saw earlier on the balcony came into view.

The prince stopped at the top of the stairs for an instant to get a quick glimpse of the girl who would become his bride. She looked young and he had to grudgingly admit to himself that she was pretty for her age. Something in her posture, though, rubbed him the wrong way. Then, he realized that she was standing exactly like her mother. Great, here was a child trying to be an adult – just like the servants' children. His uncle picked out a servant's child for him and here he was to be the king within four years.

Belle also took advantage of his quick pause. Secretly, she grudgingly agreed that the prince did look handsome as many of the nobles she knew had faces that looked like donkeys, to put it nicely. Still, no matter how handsome he looked, she was sure that his personality did not match – handsome on the outside and hideous on the inside. For her father, though, she would _try_ to keep an open mind.

Both children kept their faces passive despite their thoughts as the prince continued walking down the stairs.

The prince remembered some things that his uncle said – probably the girl would swoon or overly compliment him. He thought that the girl was doing a good job of keeping her excitement in check.

Finally, he reached the Entrance Hall floor and stood next to his uncle.

King Pierre made the introductions, "Nephew, may I present Lady Cecil Toussaint and Lady Belle." The prince took Cecil's hand and kissed it. He did the same for Belle, but never made eye contact with her. It took all of Belle's strength to not pull her hand away in disgust. She always hated that custom, except when she played with her friends and they made fun of the nobles.

The king continued, "And this is my nephew, Prince Adam." Belle noticed the prince gave a slight wince at the name, but no one else did. The two women then curtsied politely.

King Pierre spoke again after a few seconds, "Well, then, Lady Toussaint and I have much business to discuss, if you will excuse us."

Cecil and Pierre walked away without waiting for a response. Belle thought her worst nightmare had come true. She had hoped that the king and her mother would help them to get to know each other by guiding the conversation and not leaving them alone for a while.

The prince had no idea what to say. He rarely talked to others, with the exception of Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Lumiere, and he definitely had no idea how to talk to a girl. He decided to wait until she complimented him. Unknowingly, he was looking expectantly at her, which Belle found disconcerting. After a few more seconds, Belle could not take his stare any longer, "Yes?"

The prince responded, "What do you mean 'yes?'"

"You are staring at me. Is there something you wanted to say?"

"No, I just thought you wanted to say something."

Belle shrugged her shoulders, "I have nothing to say." She straightened her back.

The prince rolled his eyes at the action, which Belle saw. She could tell that soon they would have an argument and she was not sure if she wanted to prevent it. _Think of Papa_ and she calmed a little not saying anything.

They both looked awkwardly around the room. The prince did not like the silence and could not control his mouth, "Well, go ahead."

Belle looked confusedly at him, "Go ahead what?"

"You can compliment me if you want."

Belle thought, _Amazing, not even five minutes of knowing him and he proves to be everything I thought and worse._ Aloud, she asked, "What makes you think I wanted to compliment you? I know nothing about you except you're a prince." _I tried to avoid an argument but it is no use._

The prince was taken aback and rendered speechless. Belle knew she was being a little too harsh and decided to turn whatever was going on between them into a real conversation that had no superficial rubbish. "Since you are the prince, you must have a tutor."

He responded, "So?"

Belle knew this was going to be difficult. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me about the lessons, anything along those lines?"

"Why? You're a girl."

_Please, mon Dieu, give me a miracle so as to keep my temper._ "I've had an education and a very high one, but I'm always interested in learning more."

He thought, _Well, I guess if she is going to be the princess, she needs to know something. Still, she probably has learned enough or else she would not be here._ Besides, he did not really learn anything so he could talk to her about that. In order to not embarrass himself, he responded, "You probably learned enough."

Belle took a deep breath to try to calm herself, but it did not work. _Change the subject, change the subject, this is for Papa, this is for Papa._ "Um, could you please show me where my room is located?"

Who did this girl think he was? "That's for the servants, not a prince."

Belle had never been a violent person, but she had an urge to slap his face. _I cannot stand him for a few seconds, how will I ever make it through a lifetime with him in marriage?_ Thankfully, Mrs. Potts was walking through the hall. Belle called for her as her miracle finally arrived, "Mrs. Potts!"

Mrs. Potts stopped and turned towards her, "Why, Lady Belle, it's a pleasure to see you again. My, how you have grown."

Belle smiled at the kindly woman and decided to use English to annoy the prince, "Thank you, Mrs. Potts, and it's wonderful to see you again, too." She glanced at the prince quickly before continuing, "Mrs. Potts, I apologize if this is an inconvenience, but I would like to freshen up and –"

Mrs. Potts guessed that Belle wanted to get away from the prince so she said without realizing her change of language, "Of course, my dear, of course. It is no inconvenience at all. One of the men will bring your bags up later, if that's not a problem."

Belle shook her head, "Not at all."

The prince was shocked at how easily Belle managed to slip into a different language. He did not know anything other than French. Was that why his uncle had been obsessed with languages all these years? He had many things to ponder as he watched the two women walk up the stairs.

For some reason he noticed that Belle never once glanced back as she disappeared from view.


	5. The Dinner Argument

Thank you everyone for your patience since it took me so long to update this story. I definitely have not forgotten to write, but the problem is that I am writing snippets of future chapters out of order. Currently, I have five other chapters started for this story and none of them will be a part of chapter 6. That is also the problem with my "Freedom of Choice" story, but once I finish chapter 12, chapters 13 to 15 will be updated pretty quickly since they are all ready written. That one will probably be about twenty chapters long, so it is almost done.

Anyway, about this chapter, I have taken many quotes or snippets of quotes from the Broadway show version. I figured since these characters are the same characters, their personalities would be almost identical to their Broadway show/movie personalities, except for Belle. If any of this seems OOC, let me know and I will try to correct it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie or Broadway show _Beauty and the Beast_. Some of the quotes belong to the different versions of the Disney classic.

* * *

Mrs. Potts showed Belle to her new room. When she entered, Belle thought that the room was bigger than her entire house in Paris.

"This room is too much. I don't need this much space."

Mrs. Potts chuckled, "You are quite the girl, Lady Belle."

"Mrs. Potts, please call me 'Belle' – no 'Lady' in front."

Mrs. Potts smiled at the girl, "Well, when we are alone like this, then I promise to try to call you 'Belle,' but in front of the king and your mother –"

"You must follow decorum," Belle finished for her. "It's horrible how you are treated like a servant. You're not; none of the workers here must be in order to work for a prince like that. You must be friends with the royals due to your fierce loyalty."

Mrs. Potts was taken aback. "I don't think I ever thought of myself as a friend of the royal family and I doubt anyone else has. Although I did once think of myself as almost the prince's…" she trailed off.

Belle asked, "The prince's mother?"

Mrs. Potts nodded, "My husband and I raised him after the princess' death, but a few years later, circumstances prevented me from continuing that role."

Belle decided not to ask Mrs. Potts the "circumstances" as she did not want to be rude, but she could tell that Mrs. Potts blamed herself for how the prince turned out. She was sure that the prince she saw was mild in comparison to his usual attitude. _I cannot wait to find out how he truly is_, Belle thought sarcastically.

When Belle looked settled in, Mrs. Potts took her leave saying, "Whoever brings your bags will let you know when dinner will be ready."

Belle said, "Thank you, Mrs. Potts, but I'm not going to be dining tonight."

Mrs. Potts decided not to respond since she knew dinner would be a couple of hours off and Belle could change her mind. All she said was, "Very well, Dear," and was gone.

A little while after Mrs. Potts left, there was a knock at the door. A voice said, "Mademoiselle, I am here with your bags."

Belle opened the door for Lumiere who was carrying five bulky bags. He asked, "Where would you like for me to put them?"

"Any where will be fine. Thank you, Lumiere."

Lumiere had put down the bags by the bed and then looked back at her in surprise, "How did you know my name?"

Belle smiled at him, "The clothes you are wearing are fancier than the other employees I've seen here, which would mean you are higher in status. I remember Mrs. Potts telling me about you and Cogsworth when she came to my home in Paris and I know Cogsworth has a little more weight about him from what Mrs. Potts said. You are also not as stiff."

Lumiere chuckled at her description, "Yes, and he is more uptight. You know, sometimes he reminds me of a tightly wound clock. I have to say, though, I'm surprised that you remember a conversation that happened over six years ago, especially since you were such a young child. And I thought Mrs. Potts was exaggerating, although she never does. You're everything she said and more."

Belle responded, "Thank you, I hope."

Lumiere replied, "Believe me, ma Cherie, I could do nothing but compliment you."

Belle blushed a little and Lumiere along with Madame de la Grande Bouche, who came in a few minutes later, helped Belle unpack and put her items and clothes away. As both servants left the room allowing Belle to get some rest, they were both quite impressed with the girl and thought that the king could not have made a better choice on a future wife for the prince.

Before they left, Lumiere announced that dinner would be in two hours. Belle's response, "Thank you very much, Lumiere, but I'm not going to dinner tonight. I know I won't be hungry." She knew she did not want to see the prince again within a week, let alone tonight.

Lumiere bowed and left without a word, although he knew the king would not like this. He decided to speak with the prince.

* * *

The prince went up to his room a few minutes after Belle left with Mrs. Potts. He began to pace wondering what it was about her that both interested him and annoyed him. Maybe that was the way with girls as he saw Lumiere and Babette running around all over. One minute, they would be kissing, which looked disgusting, and then the next minute, Babette would slap Lumiere's face. Girls, who needs them? Definitely not the prince.

There was a knock at his door, which annoyed him. He asked in an unpleasant tone, "Who's there?"

Lumiere entered, "I, Master."

The prince rolled his eyes thinking, _Speak of the devil_. However, Lumiere might be able to explain Belle's behavior to him as certainly Cogsworth would never be able and Mrs. Potts was rarely around.

The prince's tone did not change, "What is it?"

Lumiere was shaking a little. Maybe it was a bad idea to speak with the prince unless required to do so and this conversation was not required. _Oh, well, too late now._ "Well, Master, I just came from helping the girl unpack."

The prince was irritated, "And?"

"And, well, she seems to be uncomfortable with her new surroundings."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

Lumiere mumbled, "Maybe lose the attitude."

Since the prince did not hear Lumiere mumble, he grew more frustrated, "Well, tell me!"

Lumiere fumbled with his hands, "Well, maybe you can show her some kindness as that is what girls need, especially since she is in a strange place. Um, maybe you could escort her to dinner. Right now, she says she doesn't want to go, but she could change her mind."

"Isn't that a servant's job?"

"Well, actually, Master, it would be yours when you both are wed. The prince escorts the princess like a king escorts a queen or a duke escorts a duchess or a –"

The prince interrupted, "Enough! Fine, I understand." He had a little fear in his eyes.

Lumiere remembered the prince temper tantrum when the trio first told the prince about the betrothal. Mrs. Potts said it was the result of fear and Lumiere believed she was right. The prince was very afraid of the betrothal.

"Well, anyway, Master, there is a possibility that this situation will not be difficult. You could fall in love with her and she could fall in love with you and poof, you created something by midnight."

Since the prince had no idea what love was, he did not comprehend what Lumiere was saying. The words quickly became jumbled in his head.

There was another knock at the door. The prince, due to his confusion and annoyance, just yelled, "Who is it?"

Mrs. Potts entered knowing Lumiere was there. "Master, dinner is almost ready."

The prince rolled his eyes, "I guess I need to escort the girl to dinner now."

Mrs. Potts replied, "Well, that would be the gentlemanly thing to do, but she might not accept the invitation. Belle is different from most girls, so you should find some way to impress her. That could start a conversation without you- I mean, her stubbornness flying about."

The prince rolled his eyes again. Great, everything he knew about girls came from his uncle and his uncle was wrong about this one. He did not realize he admitted his weakness out loud, "I don't know how."

Mrs. Potts said, "Well, a smile might be a good beginning. You're still a bo- I mean, young."

Lumiere joined in, "I agree. There's no need to be as stiff as the kin- Cogsworth. You could also impress her with your rapier wit."

Mrs. Potts gently admonished Lumiere while speaking to the prince, "But make sure its gentle." She knew what was considered humorous to the king and she hoped that his nephew had not heard any of those remarks.

Lumiere did not notice that Mrs. Potts' remarks were directed at him so he continued, "Shower her with compliments."

Mrs. Potts needed to clarify Lumiere's helpful hint, "But be sincere."

However, they could both agree when Lumiere started, "But overall," and then Mrs. Potts shouted with him, "You must control your temper!"

The prince had covered his ears during the back and forth conversation between Mrs. Potts and Lumiere. It was too much information to take in and it was giving him a headache. However, he heard them yell about his temper and he wanted to lash out at them.

Lumiere and Mrs. Potts knew he was ready to yell out at them, so Mrs. Potts quickly said, "I believe dinner should be ready by now," and they both ran for the door. Before Lumiere exited, he said, "Today, just escort the girl to dinner and we'll help you in any way we can." He left before the prince could respond.

* * *

Belle heard another knock at the door. She called out, "Who is it?"

She heard the prince's voice. "It's Prince… Adam." Belle heard the wince in his voice when he said "Adam."

She responded, "Yes?"

On the other side of the door, the prince wondered why she was always so… he could not think of a word for it. Still, this was the second time he had spoken to her and she managed again to surprise him. He quickly cleared his throat and said, "I'm escorting you to dinner."

Belle crossed her arms knowing that this would lead to an argument, but she could not help herself. "Really?"

The prince had no idea how to respond to her tone. He finally settled on, "Yes, so open the door and come out."

He did not hear or see the trio coming up behind him.

She replied, "I told Mrs. Potts and Lumiere that I am not going to dinner, so there is no need for you to escort me and no need to open the door. I do apologize that they did not relay the message to you."

"Lumiere mentioned it."

Belle was glad the door remained closed and she even had an urge to lock it although she resisted. "So you knew that I did not wish to go to dinner and you came anyway?"

"We have to meet with my uncle, the king, and your mother." His voice was beginning to have a growling quality to it.

"They never said they wanted to meet with us and I'm not hungry." Belle knew that she was acting like a child, but then again so was he and he was the older one.

The prince realized how stupid his next sentence was, but it came out of his mouth before he thought about what he should say. "You're hungry if I say you're hungry."

Belle rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous."

The trio gasped. The prince finally realized the three were behind him, but he did not care. His temper was about to fly out of control. "What did you say?"

"Well, you can't go around ordering people to be hungry – it doesn't work like that." She opened the door to face him with her next statement. "And besides, it is rude." She crossed her arms again.

Lumiere and Cogsworth whispered, "Master," loudly before the prince could respond.

He looked at them, "What?"

The trio gestured for him to come over to them. As he walked to them, Belle looked on with amusement, especially when they were speaking since they continued to whisper loudly.

In the conference, Lumiere said to the prince, "Starting an argument may not be the best way to win the girl's affections."

The prince responded, "But Lumiere, you said she would love me by midnight." It took all of Belle's strength not to laugh at that statement. Her falling in love with this prince sounded even more ridiculous than his ordering her to be hungry.

Mrs. Potts interjected, "Well, if it was love at first sight, then she probably would have loved you quickly, but in this case, these things are going to take time." _If they are meant to happen at all_, she added silently. If they gave each other a chance, then they might get along, but at this rate, even on the first day, she doubted that would happen.

Belle heard the tone in Mrs. Potts' voice and knew that Mrs. Potts doubted everything she said. Strangely enough, that tone depressed Belle a little, although she was not one hundred percent sure why. She guessed that in her heart, she wished that the prince could have been a good person with whom she could have been friends at least.

The prince was frustrated and practically yelled at the trio, "Fine then, I'll take the time, but why is she being so difficult?"

The trio stammered and the prince lost patience. He looked at Belle and knew she overheard the conversation, so he decided to pose the question to her directly, "Why are you being so difficult?"

Belle was still amused as she gave her response, "Why are you being such a bully?"

The prince stomped his foot, "Because I want you to come down to dinner!"

Belle's amusement grew. Maybe she was acting like a child, but he definitely proved he was more childish than she was and at least she could control her mood between acting childish and acting adult-like. In addition, his answer technically admitted what she said. She should have kept her mouth shut, but – "So you admit you're being a bully."

The trio yelled out to the prince, "Deep breaths, Master," to help him keep his temper.

Instead, he yelled, "Fine then, you'll starve," and he ran down the hall towards the small dining room. Belle worked very hard to contain her laughter.

Mrs. Potts looked at Lumiere and said, "Well, that didn't go very well, did it?"

Lumiere just shrugged in response.

Mrs. Potts sighed and walked over to Belle. "Belle, dear, if you want something to eat later, let one of us know and we'll be at your disposal."

Belle quickly sobered, "He's impossible, isn't he?"

"Sometimes he acts before he thinks, but with his uncle in the castle, that may remedy the situation."

Belle responded, "Why? It has not worked after all these years."

Mrs. Potts stated, "Actually, the longest the king has spent with his nephew was a week at a time and it has been two years since his last visit."

Belle was surprised, "Oh, well, anyway, Mrs. Potts, could you please tell where the kitchen is and if I am hungry, I will take care of myself?"

Mrs. Potts knew the king was not going to like this, but Belle seemed to want her independence. "Bottom floor on the east side. The kitchen is large with swinging doors, so it is difficult to miss."

Belle replied with a "thank you" and went inside her room to contemplate the new information she had about the prince.

* * *

Meanwhile, the prince entered the dining room where his uncle and Lady Toussaint were speaking.

King Pierre saw the prince enter, "Ah, nephew, do you know where Belle is?"

The prince's voice had a huff quality to it, "Yes, I was going to escort her here, but she refuses to eat."

Cecil spoke up, "Oh, that is my daughter for you. She sometimes skips meals when a big event happens, such as our move today."

The king was not amused, "Well, she must be rid of that habit. She cannot skip meals when such an event is the conception of an heir."

Cecil responded, "Oh, believe me, Your Majesty, my daughter would take great care of herself if she found herself with child. She would never put another life in danger. And besides, the servants here would also watch and take care of her."

King Pierre pondered what Lady Toussaint said and then stated, "Fine, let her be. Nephew, sit down and eat now."

The prince had a sickening feeling while his uncle and Lady Toussaint were discussing heirs. Heirs? They still had to get to the marriage. He remembered when Lumiere and Cogsworth told him about what happens after a marriage and he was still uncomfortable thinking about it. He wondered if Belle knew about that part of marriage, although he was sure he was not supposed to speak with her about this, even though they were betrothed. Besides, they had yet to speak with each other without having an argument. Could they really get married and have heirs if they could not talk? He thought not. Besides, it was all Belle's fault and he doubted even if they were married that heirs would be a part of the picture.

The prince did not realize he had been standing during his thoughts. The king yelled, "Adam, sit!"

The prince jumped and ran over to his seat to eat dinner. The running part earned him another lecture from his uncle.

King Pierre then said to Lady Toussaint, "I just don't know what to do with the boy. I'm hopeful that your daughter has a good head on her shoulders, although tonight gave me some doubts."

Lady Toussaint responded, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. They're both children and will grow in time."

The king almost growled, "They should be grown now."

Definitely not for the first time in six years, but certainly the first time today, Lady Toussaint wondered if she did the right thing for her daughter.


End file.
